Eric Ly

Eric Ly
Betterworld887 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Eric Ly
Birth date	1969
Birth place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur, engineer, investor
Known for	Co-founder of LinkedIn, founder of Five Hands, founding CEO of Remix, investor
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University

Eric Ly is an American entrepreneur, engineer, and investor known for co-founding a prominent professional social network and for early work in cloud computing and geospatial transit technology. He has held leadership roles in startups and venture firms, contributed to product development in software and mapping, and advised multiple technology companies. His career spans intersections with Silicon Valley firms, academic institutions, public transit agencies, and philanthropic organizations.

Early life and education

Ly was born in San Francisco and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended public schools in the region before matriculating at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied electrical engineering and computer science and engaged with campus research groups and technology incubators. After Berkeley, Ly pursued graduate studies at Stanford University, participating in programs that connected students with Silicon Valley startups, technology transfer offices, and investment networks. During his education he collaborated with researchers and entrepreneurs affiliated with institutions such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, IBM Research, and local accelerator programs.

Career

Ly began his professional career as an engineer and product manager, working on early web and enterprise software projects that intersected with companies like Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation, and Microsoft. He co-founded a major professional networking platform with partners who had connections to firms such as PayPal, Yahoo!, and research groups at Stanford University; that platform attracted investment from venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, and Bessemer Venture Partners. After the successful scaling and exit of that venture, Ly transitioned to leadership roles that spanned product, operations, and investment.

He served in executive positions at startups backed by investors such as Kleiner Perkins and worked with mapping and transportation ventures collaborating with city agencies and transit authorities, including San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and regional planning bodies. Ly has been active as an angel investor and advisor to companies in software, infrastructure, and mobility, engaging with networks like AngelList, Startup Weekend, and industry groups tied to venture capital and entrepreneurship. He also held product and engineering leadership roles at cloud and security firms that interfaced with platforms from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and enterprise clients including Salesforce.

Notable ventures and contributions

Ly is best known as a co-founder of a prominent professional social network that reshaped recruitment, networking, and human resources practices; the platform integrated features influenced by early social software from projects at Stanford and the broader Silicon Valley ecosystem. As a founder and CEO, he led product design, platform architecture, and go-to-market strategy during formative years, working closely with early employees who had previously been associated with firms like PayPal and Accenture. The company’s growth involved partnerships with recruiting firms, enterprise software vendors such as SAP and Oracle, and media outlets including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that covered its user adoption.

Beyond that, Ly founded and led startups focused on geospatial data, public transit, and mobile mapping. One venture developed tools for transit agencies and mapping providers, collaborating with open-data initiatives like OpenStreetMap and standards organizations that included members from Transit Cooperative Research Program-affiliated projects. Another initiative, a mapping and routing company, partnered with municipal agencies and technology platforms to improve urban mobility and route planning, intersecting with research from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and practitioners from Institute of Transportation Engineers forums.

Ly has also been involved in early-stage investing and mentorship, supporting founders in incubators and accelerators such as Y Combinator, Plug and Play Tech Center, and university-affiliated entrepreneurship programs. His advisory roles have touched companies focused on enterprise SaaS, data infrastructure, cybersecurity, and machine learning, many of which sought product-market fit through collaborations with corporate development teams at IBM, Cisco Systems, and Intel.

Awards and recognition

Ly’s work has been recognized by technology media, business publications, and industry organizations. Profiles and interviews in outlets such as Forbes, Wired, and Fast Company highlighted his role in shaping professional networking and startup ecosystems. He has received honors and invitations from academic institutions including speaking engagements at Stanford University entrepreneurship events and panels hosted by UC Berkeley’s engineering departments. Industry groups and conferences—such as SXSW, TechCrunch Disrupt, and regional innovation summits—have featured him as a speaker or judge, acknowledging his contributions to startup growth, product strategy, and urban mobility innovation.

Personal life

Ly resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and has participated in community and philanthropic activities tied to Asian-American organizations, local education foundations, and technology outreach programs. He serves on advisory boards and contributes time to mentorship initiatives associated with entrepreneurship programs at universities and nonprofit incubators. In his personal capacity he has engaged with cultural institutions and civic groups in the Bay Area that intersect with technology, public transit, and community development.

Category:American technology company founders Category:Businesspeople from San Francisco